This is a discussion on 2004 WRX - Shoopster's build (or rather, repair) thread within the Builds forums, part of the Tech & Modifying & General Repairs category; Car is really coming along nicely! Great work....

For those wondering, a new wastegate actuator costs about $135 +tx + shipping.
Used turbo cost less and now I have a spare just in case; it's in good shape, very little play.
And mine is missing the little C-clip too (I just learned) so now I have that too.

aah sorry! i didnt see the part about the timing belt! a somewhat expensive add to that job. get the Gates kit that comes with the replacement pullys. when they replaced my belt and waterpump at the dealer they didnt. one pully failed and i almost punched valves into pistions on the left bank. only the outer pully riding on the bolt saven my engine. it was the pully right next to the water pump. the kit is expensive, sorry. but it is cheap insurance compared to a overhaul IMO. or i am sure the pullys can be had individually. uum....lets see Attachment 114290

How about stainless steel Allen head or bolt for contrast on the delete kit? Or...with the hex bolt you could get those snap on covers and paint to match/dip to personal taste?

The delete has these grooves around the holes for the screw, like a dip, for a diamond-shaped head. It's a nice idea but I don't think it would sit properly in the grooves. (We used stainless steel bolts and washers for my license plate though, in back)

Originally Posted by tirerob

get the Gates kit that comes with the replacement pullys. when they replaced my belt and waterpump at the dealer they didnt. one pully failed and i almost punched valves into pistions on the left bank. only the outer pully riding on the bolt saven my engine. it was the pully right next to the water pump. the kit is expensive, sorry. but it is cheap insurance compared to a overhaul IMO. or i am sure the pullys can be had individually. [...] sounded like my engine threw a rod. lucky me i was coasting into my house. anyhoo, my two cheap copper coinage.

Yep! Got it all, thanks! There's a link in my 1st post (job #4) to where I got the whole kit, and a great price apparently for everything... And since we got it all, I was like, "and now we'll have all the old parts for spares!" -- I'm a quick study, eh? -- but no, because if ever we need one of those spares, it'll mean opening it all up again, and if we'd have a reason to open it all up again, might as well change all the parts (insert appropriate meme here)... Actually, come to think of it, it's the water pump that needs to be changed, 'cause the timing belt looks like it's been done at some point. And so but while we're at it...

Originally Posted by xFalleNx

Car is really coming along nicely! Great work.

Originally Posted by Calvinball

Nice to see the progress! I say paint the grill.

Thanks! Nice to hear (read) I think the long posts give that impression
Progress is slow though. There are only very few things I can do myself, and even then I'm working at a 'learning-and-I-hope-I-don't-mess-this-up" pace. Nice of you to say so, though

As for the the grill, I'm leaning towards black too. It'll be the lean, mean, shoopster machine.

Originally Posted by Ruh Roh

my front plate delete is a year old and no dents from giant bugs or hitting hookers yet.

Yah, um.. when someone asks if you'd hit that, that's not what they mean
My front bumper is a disaster. I think we have bigger bugs here or something. Plus I live in the countryside, lots of gravelly roads.
If my first road-trip (WBM) damages it, I'd lose my mind. It'd be like buying a new stainless steel fridge with a scratch on it, it'd drive me bonkers.

Originally Posted by Mikie13

Glad I could help! Nice find!

Me too! Aaand seriously, it is a nice one!
BF explained to me what to look for, what it should or shouldn't do. So glad I didn't **** that up.
He got a kick out of telling his co-workers (also mechanics) that his "girlfriend went out and bought a turbo today".

+1 on replacing the timing belt idlers and tensioners. To be honest, I'd do those now even if the belt was done by the previous owner if you aren't SURE they were replaced too. A lot of people skip that step when doing the timing belt... from what I hear, the idlers are usually good to about 150k or so and so aren't included in a lot of "normal" timing belt changes.

I had heard about this but was on the fence about changing mine or not (the previous owners were very conscientious and had replaced the belt on time, but I wasn't sure if they had done the idlers or not) when one of the idlers seized on me briefly. Made a very bad noise and a very bad smell for a second or two... opened everything up to find a massive hole in my timing belt, I still can't believe it didn't snap. Probably would have been the end of the engine

+1 on replacing the timing belt idlers and tensioners. To be honest, I'd do those now even if the belt was done by the previous owner if you aren't SURE they were replaced too. A lot of people skip that step when doing the timing belt... from what I hear, the idlers are usually good to about 150k or so and so aren't included in a lot of "normal" timing belt changes.

I had heard about this but was on the fence about changing mine or not (the previous owners were very conscientious and had replaced the belt on time, but I wasn't sure if they had done the idlers or not) when one of the idlers seized on me briefly. Made a very bad noise and a very bad smell for a second or two... opened everything up to find a massive hole in my timing belt, I still can't believe it didn't snap. Probably would have been the end of the engine

Close call!!
It's been my experience that if you remain undecided about a thing for too long, the decision may be made for you

So, I'd like to update on the floormat situation and report on a very decent customer follow-up experience.

As some of you may recall, in chapter 3 of our story, our heroine expressed some dissatisfaction with the coverage, or lack thereof, provided by the passenger-side OEM rubber floormat.

Long story short, RallySportDirect contacted me and double-checked that I'd received the right ones, and checked the measurements with Subaru as well. To make up for it, RSD offered me a credit worth half the retail price - which I did not expect and much appreciated - and asked me to post my review on their product with a picture, because it was indeed accurate.

(I really didn't mean to make a big deal out of it - I didn't even consider returning them - but there wasn't a single negative review on the product, nothing whatsoever about the major difference in size. How could I be the only one. That irritated me more than the discrepancy itself.)

IN OTHER good news, following a crushing majority vote of two (including yours truly), the grill is painted black. Easy peasy

Screws! That's it?? I was ready to put tape everywhere.

Good thing that didn't turn into a big production like some people
We also removed the horns, didn't need to remove the bumper for that.

Peely and mucky and gross. It would probably be easier to get new ones. But ain't it always.

Cleaned up with brake & parts cleaner, but the paint's gotta go. That'll be next.

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